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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stock — shares
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. suit — in cards
  13. march — the month
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — goods
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com